Fluid dispensing system and apparatus



Oct. 4, 1955 D. MAPES 2,719,589

FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM AND APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5. 1950 L F/G.l

INVENTOR DA AUH MA P55 ATTO NEY United States Patent FLUID DISPENSINGSYSTEM AND APPARATUS Daniel Mapes, West Caldwell, N. J., assignor toSpecialties Development Corporation, Belleville, N. J., a corporation ofNew Jersey Application August 3, 1950, Serial No. 177,365

8 Claims. (Cl. 169 -9) The present invention relates to systems andapparatus for dispensing fluid materials such as liquids or dry powder,and, more particularly, to the type wherein a charge of burningsubstance is utilized for developing pressure medium adapted to expelthe material from a container and effect discharge thereof through aconduit.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide dischargeapparatus of the foregoing type which is an improvement over suchapparatus heretofore known.

Another object is to provide such apparatus wherein a closure controlsthe opening of the outlet of the container which is adapted to burstupon the attainment of a predetermined pressure within the containerwhich the container can safely withstand.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which is simple andeconomical in construction.

.A further object is to provide such apparatus adapted to be embodied insystems having discharge conduits of various lengths.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon anunderstanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, orwill be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages notreferred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employmentof the invention in practice.

In accordance with the invention, the foregoing objects may beaccomplished by providing apparatus comprising a container for storingfluid material and having a discharge outlet, a closure for the outletadapted to unclose the outlet upon the attainment of a predeterminedpressure within the container, chamber means for housing a charge ofburning substance adapted to develop pressure medium, and orifice meansfor metering the medium into the container to render the closureineffective to thereby unclose the outlet and to expel the materialthrough the outlet.

In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, a rupturable discprovides the outlet closure and is held in position by a shear ringwhich facilitates rupture thereof, and a frangible disc provides aclosure between the chamber means and the container.

The apparatus is thereby adapted to be utilized in a system wherein adischarge conduit is connected to the outlet having a predeterminedlength and the charge in the housing has a predetermined burning time inrelation to the length of the conduit. For example, the charge may be inunits, each unit consisting of a predetermined quantity of burningsubstance and one or more units of charges being provided for each unitof length;

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for the purposesof illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, forming'a'pa'rt of the specification, wherein:

Figure 1 is-a diagrammatic longitudinal sectional view of" dischargeapparatus utilized in a system in accordance with the present invention.Figure 2' is an enlarged sectional view of the charge 2,719,589 IPatented Oct. 4,

housing chamber and the pressure medium metering means.

Referring to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1 thereof,there is shown a container 10 for storing fluid material such as liquidor dry powder adapted for use as a fire extinguishing medium or thelike. The container may be generally cylindrical, as shown, or may bespherical, if desired. In either case, the container has substantiallyhemispherical ends. The container is comstructed of suitable metal tosafely withstand an internal pressure of about 800 pounds per squareinch, for example.

The container 10 is formed with an outlet opening 11 at the lower end orbottom thereof, in which an outlet spud or nipple 12 is secured. Thenipple has an internal shoulder 13 defining an outlet port, which portis sealed by a closure 14 secured against the shoulder by a shear ring15 threaded into the nipple. The closure 14, as illustrated, may be athin frangible or rupturable disc designed to burst and unclose theoutlet upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure within thecontainer, for example, approximately 350 pounds per square inch, or maybe in the form of a spring seated valve member adapted to be unseatedand unclose the opening when the spring force is overcome by thepressure in the container.

An elbow 16 or other fitting for connecting the outlet of the nipple toa discharge conduit or pipe 17 is secured over the end of the nipple by.a coupling ring 18. The conduit 17 is adapted to conduct the materialfrom the container to its point of use, herein schematically designatedby a discharge nozzle 19 or the like at the dowm stream endof theconduit.

The conduit may be of any suitable lengthdepending upon the distancebetween the container 10 and the nozzle 19 or the path of the conduit 17in each particular installation. Since the overall length of the conduitmay vary in each case, the conduit is arbitrarilyassumed to comprise anumber of units of length L. Such units may be imaginary portions ofequallength' or fractions thereof of a continuous conduit or tube, asshown, or may be connected sections of tubing of substantially equallength or a fraction of such length, the terms unitsof length andsections being synonymous in a broad sense.

The exact length of a unit or section is not important, as long as thelength has a definite relation to the units of burning substance asdescribed hereinafter. For example, each unitmay have a length of twentyfeet. In the drawing two and one-half units are shown.

A chamber 20 for burning substance adapted to develop pressure isprovided at the upper end or top of the container substantially oppositethe outlet. The chamber comprises a receptacle member 21 extending atleast partly into the container and having an open upper'end and abottom 22 formed with'an outlet through which pressure medium developedin the chamber can pass to the container; and a cover 24 detachablysecured to the open end of the receptacle member 21. The cover hasthereon a fuse or other ignition means 25 for the charge which may be ofthe electrically or mechanically actuated type.

As shown in FigureZ, the bottom 22 of the chamber isforme'd with anoutlet 26 and a member 27 is positioned over the outlet which has ametering orifice 29 therein for establishing communication'between thechamber and the container by way of the outlet 26 and for metering thepressure medium produced by the burning substance into the container ata predetermined rate. v

If desired, as shown',*a"frangib1e disc 30 is positioned betweentheoutlet 26 and the orifice 29 by the member 27 which is adapted toburst upon the attainment of a predetermined pressure in thechamberupon' burning of the substance, whereby the chamber is normallysealed against entry of the contents of the container by way of theoutlet 26 and the orifice 29.

A charge of burning substance, such as slow burning powder or other gasproducing material adapted to develop a predetermined pressure and burnat a substantially constant predetermined rate is housed in thechamber'20. The charge comprises one or more cartridges or units C, thenumber of such units depending upon the number of units of length L.Each cartridge consists of a predetermined quantity of burning substancewhich will generate pressure for a duration to expel the entire contentsof the container and to push the contents through a unit of length L ata desired rate.

As shown in the drawing by way of example, two fullsized units C and onehalf-sized unit C are utilized to expel the fluid material through twoand one half units of length L. It will be appreciated that fivehalf-sized units C could be utilized and that the units C may be anyother multiple of the number of units L wherein the integer of suchmultiple is a number greater than two. For example, more accurateadjustment of the relation between the length of the conduit and thecharge may be provided by using smaller units C, each of which isdesigned to push the fluid material through a third, quarter of fifth ofa unit of length L.

The proportioning of the charge in relation to the length of the conduitsolves a difliculty heretofore encountered in connection with systems ofthis type wherein the size of the charge was merely based on the volumeof the fluid material to be dispensed. In such systems, only a givenlength of conduit produced satisfactory results. In cases where thelength of the conduit substantially exceeded such given length, thepressure generated in the container was not maintained for a suflicientduration to push all of the fluid material to the discharge point,whereby incomplete discharge resulted.

In cases where the length of the conduit was substantially less thansuch given length, the fluid material was quickly expelled from theconduit and pressure medium was maintained in the container anddischarged through the nozzle 19 long after the fire was extinguished.This naturally resulted in a waste of expellant and was objectionablebecause the location of the fire could not be inspected while thepressure'medium was still being discharged. 7

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a simple, practical apparatus and system embodyingsuch apparatus wherein a burning substance is advantageously utilized toexpel a fluid material.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangementof the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to beunderstood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

'1. A fluid dispensing system comprising a container for storing fluidmaterial and having a discharge outlet, a closure for said outletadapted to unclose said outlet upon the attainment of a predeterminedpressure in said container, a discharge conduit connected to said outlethaving a predetermined length, means for housing a charge of burningsubstance adapted to develop a predetermined substantially constantpressure in said container which is effective to unclose said outlet andto expel the material through said outlet and said conduit, and a chargein said housing having a predetermined burning time in relationtoltherlength of said conduit.

.2. A fluid dispensing system comprising a container for storing fluidmaterial and having a discharge outlet, a closure forsaid outlet adaptedto unclose said outlet upon the attainment of apredetermined pressure insaid container, a discharge conduit connected to said outlet having alength of a predetermined number of units,

means for housing a charge of burning substance adapted to develop asubstantially constant predetermined pressure in said container which iseffective to unclose said outlet and to expel the material, and a chargein said housing means for each unit of length of said conduit, eachcharge consisting of a predetermined quantity of burning substance.

3. A fluid dispensing system comprising a container for storing fluidmaterial and having a discharge outlet, a closure for said outletadapted to unclose said outlet upon the attainment of a predeterminedpressure in said container, a discharge conduit connected to said outlethaving a length of a predetermined number of units, means for housing acharge of burning substance adapted to develop a substantially constantpredetermined pressure in said container which is effective to unclosesaid outlet and to expel the material, and a plurality of charges insaid housing means corresponding in number to the number of units oflength of said conduit, each charge consisting of a predeterminedquantity of burning substance.

4. A fluid dispensing system comprising a container for storing fluidmaterial and having a discharge outlet, a closure for said outletadapted to unclose said outlet upon the attainment of a predeterminedpressure in said container, a discharge conduit connected to said outlet including a number of sections of substantially equal length, meansfor housing a charge of burning substance adapted to develop asubstantially constant predetermined pressure in said container which iseifective to unclose said outlet and to expel the material through saidoutlet, and a plurality of charges in said housing means consisting of apredetermined quantity of burning substance, the number of charges beinga multiple of the number of conduit sections.

5. Discharge apparatus comprising a container for storing a fluidmaterial and having a discharge outlet at the lower wall portionthereof, a spud in said outlet having a closure therefor adapted tounclose said outlet upon the attainment of a predetermined pressurewithin said container, and a chamber structure secured to said containerat the upper wall portion thereof having an outlet for establishingfluid flow communication with said chamber and said container, adownwardly facing port, a shoulder in said port facing the interior ofthe chamber structure, a frangible disc seated on said shoulder, adownwardly facing cup-shaped member secured in said port abutting theupper surface of said disc formed with a central orifice adapted tometer pressure medium into said container at a predetermined rate, saidchamber being arranged for housing a charge of burning substance adaptedto develop pressure in said container for effecting unclosing of saidclosure and expulsion of the material through said outlet.

6. Discharge apparatus comprising a storage container having a dischargeoutlet, a closure for said outlet adapted to unclose said outlet uponthe attainment of a predetermined pressure within said container, achamber for a charge of burning substance adapted to develop pressuremedium, said chamber being constructed to withstand a much greaterpressure than said container, and orifice means for establishingcommunication between said chamber and said container adapted to meterpressure medium into said container at a predetermined rate.

7. Discharge apparatus comprising a storage container having a dischargeoutlet, a closure for said outlet adapted to unclose said outlet uponthe attainment of a predetermined pressure within said container, achamber for a charge of burning substance adapted to develop pressuremedium, said chamber being constructed to withstand a much greaterpressure than said container, and means for establishing communicationbetween said chamber and said container including an orifice adapted tometer pressure medium into said container at a pre- 6 determined rate,and including a closure for said orifice rate, and including a frangibledisc for said orifice bebetween said container and said chamber. tweensaid container and said chamber.

8. Discharge apparatus comprising a storage con- References Cited inthefile of this patent tainer having a discharge outlet, a closure for saidoutlet adapted to burst upon the attainment of a predetermined 5 UNITEDSTATES PATENTS pressure within said container, a chamber fora charge759,062 Beckes May 3, 1904 of burning substance adapted to developpressure me- 1,510,843 Hawkins Oct. 7, 1924 dium, said chamber beingconstructed to withstand 3. 1,708,869 Buddecke Apr. 9, 1929 much greaterpressure than said container, and means 1,861,533 Hutchinson June 7,1932 for establishing communication between said chamber 10 2,057,840Newmann Oct. 20, 1936 and said container including an orifice adapted tometer 2,417,082 Mapes Mar. 11, 1947 pressure medium into said containerat a predetermined 2,530,633 Scholz Nov. 21, 1950

